Gravity Falls: Dipper's Return
by TheDarkDoctorWatson
Summary: A lot can change in five years… Dipper has come back to Gravity Falls, but being an adult comes with it's own set of problems - namely old friendships being redefined as something new. (No smut, Wendip. Constructive criticism appreciated [don't bash because it's not your ship].)
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

* * *

Dipper Pines pulled off the shoulder of the road, shut off and stepped out of the red 1986 Ford Bronco, walked over to the rail and looked out on the town that spanned out under and past the cliff. It had been five years since either of the Pines twins had set foot anywhere near Gravity Falls, and in Dipper's mind, it was five years too long.

The original plan was for no one outside of Gravity Falls to learn about what had happened during that fateful summer, but Mr. and Mrs. Pines had opened and read one of the letters from the Grunkles to Dipper and Mabel, and everything came out at once. The first idea the parents had was to never let the twins near the Grunkles again, the second was to get the kids counseling and start homeschooling them to keep them from telling anyone else. Eventually, Dipper and Mabel convinced the parents that the witch-hunt for anything Gravity Falls related was unnecessary as both of them were still alive, still sane and both the Grunkles were in the same condition. After some consideration, the parents decided to let the twins go back to Gravity Falls if they wished - but only once they were eighteen, legally able to make their own decisions anyway. Dipper and Mabel of course both decided to go back when the time came.

Between their parents' decision and coming back to Gravity Falls, the twins had grown up. Dipper had not only exceeded in high school, he graduated college early and had even begun building his own company centered on creating cell phone apps for companies that didn't have the resources or knowledge to build their own. In his free time, however, Dipper could be found out in the woods - whether looking at the stars, or cataloging things found in the woods, or discovering something new in his environment, the spirit of exploration never left Dipper's soul and he wasn't anywhere close to trying get it to leave.

Mabel had graduated highschool at the normal time, then toured just about every country on the planet including places in the U.S. she hadn't been to yet. Her routine was always the same; she would touchdown in one country or city, do typical tourist things for about a day, make a friend and stay with them, get herself an easily quittable job, save up money and tips for a bus/train ticket to the next city or plane ticket to the next country and then do it all again while staying penpals with and keeping up with texts and calls from friends in previous countries or cities including calls with Mr. and Mrs. Pines and Dipper.

The plan that Dipper and Mabel had made together was to come back to Gravity Falls this summer now that they were eighteen, and - after having already talked it over with their parents - possibly finding somewhere to stay in Gravity Falls permanently. Mabel had gotten into town somewhere in April, she had already gotten to work looking for somewhere to stay, but for now the room in the attic was open to the twins whenever they both came back. The Grunkles had come back from the boating trip, somewhere towards the end of May, and they had chosen to split the space in Ford's old underground study like the shared room from their teen years since Soos and Melody had taken the "master bedroom" and Soos's abuelita had taken Ford's old room. The only person left to get back into town was Dipper.

Dipper shook himself out of his thoughts and got back into his truck - a birthday gift from Mr. Pines, which was an eighteenth birthday gift from Grandad Pines - started up the truck and headed down the road into town.

As Dipper drove down Main Street, everything from memory hit him at once; Lazy Susan's diner still up and running, the Laser-Tag and Arcade running out of what used to be a mattress store, Bud Gleeful still running a somewhat suspicious used car dealership, and the occasional glimpse of the indigenous paranormal flora and fauna.

Before heading towards the Mystery Shack, Dipper pulled into a parking space along the sidewalk and decided to literally walk down memory lane. Stepping out of the truck, he noticed a small office building with a very familiar last name in big letters above the door. Dipper grabbed the hat he had held onto for five years and tucked it into his back pocket, did a once over in the side-view mirror, straightened his clothes - a blue flannel hoodie over a superhero tee-shirt, jeans, a pair of black Timberland boots - and straightened his posture, checked traffic before crossing the road and walked into the office building.

The "lobby" was small but comfortable; a plaid doormat, an old leather couch against one wall with a table flaunting hunting, fishing and logging magazines to the side of the couch, two desks brought together making one large corner of desk sat against the other wall with a door behind the occupant of the desk. The business cards in the holder on the desk read, "Corduroy Milling".

The occupant of the desk hadn't changed much; eyes as green and attentive as ever, a permanent look of determination mixed with curiosity on her face, a few more freckles had appeared across her face but not many, the most dramatic change was her naturally ginger hair - what was once down to her hips was now cut at just below her chin and kept up in a ponytail. She wore a red flannel, over a Corduroy Milling shirt, with the sleeves rolled up and a pair of jeans.

Dipper walked up to the desk and sat in the only chair in front of it.

"Hello sir, how can I help you?" The woman asked as she looked up from what she had been typing.

"Hi, I was wondering if you could direct me to someone who works here?" Dipper asked, unsure if she actually didn't recognize him yet.

"I might be able to." The woman replied as she moved over to the phone ready to dial the office extension for someone, "What's their name?"

"Wendy Corduroy." Dipper replied matter-of-factly with a bit of a smirk on his face.

The woman froze for a second and moved only her eyes to look at Dipper.

"May I ask who's looking for her?" The woman asked.

Dipper moved his eyes to his right and noticed a very familiar, beaten-up but still wearable hat sitting on a shelf above the desk along with a few framed pictures.

"Maybe this will help." Dipper started, now with a full smile as he reached up, took the hat and put it over his, "Hi, Wendy."

Dipper could actually see the gears turning in her head, then her eyes lit up and she let out a small scream of joy as she ran around the desk and practically tackled him with a hug - he was about a head taller than her now.

"How are you? When did you get here? Why'd you stop here?" Wendy started firing off a thousand questions as she pulled away from the hug.

"Easy, easy." Dipper laughed, "I just got into town, I was gonna head to the Shack but I thought I'd stop in and see an old friend."

"Well, not that I'm complaining," Wendy started as she gestured for Dipper to sit on the couch with her, "But shouldn't you tell Mabel or the Stans that you're in town?"

"I already told my parents that I made it," Dipper replied as they sat down, "They'll probably tell Mabel and the Grunkles for me. I just wanted some time to myself before I got swamped by Mabel and her friends, all of whom may or may not already be running on a gallon of Mabel-Juice each.".

"Well again, not that I'm complaining," Wendy chuckled as she brushed her hair behind her ear, "But shouldn't you get going? Soos was telling me the other day that he and the Grunkles have been dying to see you - and get your input on different projects."

"I got time before I absolutely _have_ to be at the Shack," Dipper replied as he looked at his smartwatch, "I haven't had lunch yet, why don't you come with me?"

"You're asking me to lunch?" Wendy asked in reply, blushing a little.

"No, I'm taking you to lunch, your choice." Dipper stated as he stood and offered to help her up, "Just two friends, catching up."

"I'd be down for that." Wendy replied with a smile as she took Dipper's hand and he helped her off the couch.

After letting Manly Dan know she was taking her lunch break, and after Dipper swapped out Wendy's old bomber hat for the beaten pine-tree hat, Wendy chose a new Hibachi and sushi place that had opened down the street a few days ago. The two of them talked as they ate for a good three hours about everything that had happened and changed in the past five years: school, work, Dipper's goatee and height, Wendy's haircut, relationships and just reminiscing on that summer that seemed like a lifetime ago. They then walked back to the Milling office, laughing and reminiscing the whole way.

"That salmon was so good." Wendy started, "Thanks for lunch, Dipper."

Without thinking, she then moved forward - up on her toes - and kissed his cheek. She pulled back, eyes wide and blushing with Dipper in much the same state.

"Uh, well, I gotta get back to work." Wendy stated, suddenly unsure of what to say.

"Yeah, I gotta get over the Shack." Dipper chuckled as his hand suddenly found a familiar and recurrent itch behind his head.

An awkward silence passed between them as foot-traffic and the noise of the town continued around them.

"Dip," Wendy started drawing both of them to look into the other's eyes, "I'm glad you're back, it's good to see you."

"It's good to see you too, Wendy." Dipper replied as the two shared a smile before Wendy stepped into the office shutting the door behind her.

As Dipper turned around, he saw Mabel standing on the corner across the street with her arms crossed and a mischievous grin on her face. Now with butterflies and a pit of awkwardness wrestling in his stomach, Dipper knew that coming back to Gravity Falls might be a bit more complicated than he first thought.

* * *

END CHAPTER ONE


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

* * *

Mabel had driven the old Mystery Shack golf-cart all the way out into town, so she was tasked with driving it back ahead of Dipper in his Bronco. Dipper took the few minutes of quiet to himself as a blessing. As smug as Mabel was when she saw him in front of the Milling office, she couldn't resist trying to break his back with a hug. He was about a foot and a half taller than her now, but he knew she was still the Alpha Twin, he knew to let her go with whatever forms of teasing she had in store - at least for a few minutes.

After he had parked, Dipper stepped out of the Bronco and turned around to see his twin still wearing that devious grin but she now had her hands folded behind her back.

"So, you and Wendy huh?" Mabel teased with a flash of her smile and a flip of her hair.

She had finally gotten her braces off when the twins were seventeen, and she still felt the rush of freedom when she smiled without feeling wires or bands restricting her mouth. She had also started cutting her hair at about her shoulders, let her bangs grow out and started wearing buns and braids a bit more often.

"No, maybe, I don't know." Dipper answered as honestly as he could as he shut the driver's door and moved to the trunk to start unpacking, "I just wanted to take her to lunch as a friend and catch up. She kissed my cheek out of nowhere and…. I don't know. Look, just don't say anything to anyone yet. I- She and I- We just need to figure it out before any rumors or anything starts flying around."

"Alright, my lips are sealed, bro-bro." Mabel stated as she helped Dipper with his luggage, "But as soon as anything changes, I'm the first to know. Not even Mom or Dad yet, me first."

"Sure thing Mabes." Dipper chuckled as the two of them hauled the current handful of luggage up the stairs and into their old attic room.

After the luggage had all been unpacked from the truck, and Dipper had given Waddles an affectionate greeting pat on the head, he headed into the gift shop. The shop was closed today, practically the whole town knew both sets of Pines twins were coming back during this summer. Soos stood behind the counter wearing the Mr. Mystery fez like Stan used to wear, Melody sat beside him with her hand on her now fairly large stomach - only two more months was what the doctor had said. The Grunkles stood in front of the counter, sharing some more stories from the boating trip.

"Hey, is anyone gonna fix this vending machine? I think it ate my dollar." Dipper announced jokingly as he pointed at the old machine that doubled as a secret door to the old labs and study a few floors down.

"Built that machine myself, of course it stole your money kid." Stan replied with a wide, smug grin as the group at the counter turned towards Dipper and Mabel.

"Dipper, good to see you again!" Ford exclaimed as he pulled Dipper into a hug, "My word, you're as tall as me now!"

"Yeah, just don't forget who's the Alpha Twin." Mabel joked with a dry smirk as she joined the group.

"Dipper, dude, how ya' been?" Soos asked as he broke into a large smile and fistbumped Dipper across the counter.

"Not too bad." Dipper replied, "The drive up here was a little rough, but not the worst drive I've had."

As the group continued to catch up with Dipper, the door opened with a chime of the bell above it as Wendy walked into the store with a messenger bag slung over her shoulder.

"Hi everyone, hope I'm not interrupting?" Wendy asked as she shut the door and readjusted the bag, "I heard a few rumors floating around town, but I wanted to see for myself."

"Rumors about what?" Dipper asked in reply with a smirk, amused at and thankful for how she was handling this.

"Dipper? Is that you?" Wendy asked as she moved to look around the others, "Geez, look at you, Stretch. How'd that happen?"

"Oh, I don't know, puberty?" Dipper asked jokingly in reply as the two shared a hug for a moment.

"So, do you still have my hat?" Wendy asked as she pulled away.

"Sure do, as long as you have _my_ old hat." Dipper replied as he led Wendy to the stairs.

"Hey, just be careful you two." Stan called out, "This town is still weird as ever and the Shack is no exception."

"Don't worry Grunkle Stan," Dipper called back down as he led Wendy up to the attic, "I still carry that sixteenth birthday present you sent me."

"What was the sixteenth birthday present?" Wendy asked as Dipper opened the door to the twins' attic bedroom.

"A taser baton that can be used in a couple different ways." Dipper replied as he pulled the bomber hat out of his back pocket, "Tonfa, small baton, cane, flashlight, expandable nightstick."

"Not bad," Wendy noted as Dipper handed the hat back to her, "Didn't know sixteen year olds could legally have one of those."

"Technically, they can't." Dipper replied with a smirk, "But Grunkle Stan's never been one to follow legalism."

Wendy chuckled as she brushed her hair behind her ear like earlier.

"Um, Wendy, about earlier…" Dipper started before Wendy cut him off.

"No, don't, it's ok." Wendy replied while trying not to blush but failing a bit, "I don't know what came over me. I know it was just trying to catch up as old friends, and I really loved it. But then, I remembered everything we had been through, and I noticed how you and I had both changed, and I just… Please don't hate me or anything, I just-"

"Wendy." Dipper cut her off calmly but swiftly as he put his hands on her shoulders, "It's ok, you don't have to explain anything. If you recall, I know what it's like to let emotions get in the way of rational thinking."

Wendy smiled as she remembered all the times this young man in front of her had tried to get her to notice him when they were younger.

"I don't want you to do anything that you would regret later," Dipper started, "And I don't want to do anything that would make you uncomfortable. If we need to take a few days to figure out...whatever this is, then we can take a few days and work it out together or on our own. But don't ever worry about losing me as a friend, and don't ever worry about me hating you over anything, we've been through too much for that to even be a possibility. Alright?"

She lifted her eyes up to look into his and nodded with a small smile of relief before hugging him in gratitude.

"I'm not going anywhere, Short-Stuff." Dipper chuckled with a goofy grin before receiving a swift but playful shove to the midsection.

"Just because you're taller than me now, doesn't mean I can't kick your butt." Wendy replied with an equally goofy grin as she shoved the bomber hat into her bag and threw the bag into the corner of the room.

"Oh, are you sure about that?" Dipper asked as he shed his flannel hoodie and threw it on his bed, "I've learned a few things since you saw me last."

"Oh really, Stretch?" Wendy asked in reply through a full-on smile as she took a defensive stance, "Why don't you come over here and prove it?"

Dipper moved like he was gonna tackle her midsection and saw that she was ready to block it, so he moved mid-run to instead grab at her legs. Before she could react, he lifted her up over his right shoulder.

"Oh my gosh, Dipper!" Wendy laughed as she playfully smacked his back, "Put me down!"

"But if I do that," Dipper began to reason in reply, "What proof do I have that you won't just try to take advantage of me returning you to stable footing?"

"Did you swallow a dictionary in the last five years?" Wendy chuckled through a mouthful of hair, "Fine, you've proven that you can beat me at least a little bit, now please put me back down?"

Dipper smiled as he put Wendy back down - and quickly lost the smile as she used his arm as leverage to get him down on the floor on his back with her basically straddling his chest.

"What was that about you being taller than me?" Wendy asked with a smug smirk as she tried to catch her breath.

"It's still true." Dipper answered as he also tried to catch his breath, "But you _can_ still kick my butt."

"And don't you forget it, Stretch." Wendy replied as she stood up and then helped Dipper up off the floor.

Wendy then grabbed her bag and headed for the bedroom door.

"Dipper," Wendy started as she turned towards him, "I want to figure this out together. Even if it just ends with us being friends, or if… I just don't think I can figure this out by myself."

"Well, I'll be in town for quite awhile this time." Dipper replied with a smirk, "I'm only a call or text away. We can meet over lunch, or just hang out like we used to, whatever you wanna do."

"If we hang out like we used to, I pick the movie." Wendy demanded playfully, "You bring the snacks."

"You got it, Short-Stuff." Dipper replied with another goofy grin.

Wendy glared at him, but let a small smirk form before she stepped out of the bedroom. Before Dipper could leave, Mabel entered the room.

"So?" Mabel asked with an expectant grin.

"I still don't know yet." Dipper replied with a grin that told Mabel he wasn't about to spill the beans anytime soon.

"You know I'll find out, brosive." Mabel started with a mischievous glint in her eyes, "I have my ways."

"Yes, I know you have your ways." Dipper answered as he began unpacking his belongings, "But I have also lived with you all my life and know how to keep things from you better than I know how to keep things from Mom & Dad."

"That explains the ding in the van a few years ago." Mabel chuckled.

Dipper just stuck his tongue out in reply before being assaulted with a pillow from Mabel's bed.

"Listen," Dipper started as he paused his unpacking, "When I know what's going on, you'll be the first to know, I promise."

Mabel walked across the room and did her best to get in her brother's face and keep a serious expression.

"I'm gonna hold you to that, Mister." Mabel stated as she pointed her finger like a scolding mother.

Before she left the room, Dipper threw the pillow back at her and immediately grabbed his own pillows as the two siblings began to sling the pillows as nearly lethal projectiles like they did when they were much younger.

* * *

Out in the Mystery Shack parking lot, in the blue pickup truck with "Corduroy Milling" scrolled across the sides, Wendy sat without putting the keys in the ignition. She took deep breaths trying to calm herself down as she held onto and looked down on the bomber hat. She now knew that Dipper coming back to Gravity Falls was going to be a bit more complicated than she first thought.

* * *

END CHAPTER TWO


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

* * *

Three weeks had gone by since Dipper had first gotten back to Gravity Falls. He has fully unpacked, had reconnected with everyone in town, had been talking with Wendy over lunch a few times a week to smooth things out between them, and was now falling into a bit of a routine: work a bit on his company with a friend back in Piedmont over video-chat, work out for about an hour or two (something that had become a bit of a habit in college), then head out with Mabel from after lunch until dinner looking for somewhere in town where they could move in.

"So, you know as much as I do on the Wendy front," Dipper started as he drove the two of them through town in the Bronco, "Are you trying for a relationship with anyone?"

"Not at the moment," Mabel answered honestly, "I've gotten to the point where I'm content with myself, and if the right someone comes along I'll be here."

Dipper smiled at how much his sister had matured from her boy crazy (double-down on the crazy) phase five summers ago.

"Just promise me what I promised you," Dipper started, "If anything happens, I'm the first to know - even before Mom & Dad."

"You got it brosive." Mabel chuckled in reply as she continued to knit another one of her famous sweaters.

As Dipper drove by the Corduroy office building, he took a moment to glance at the building as it passed by before refocusing on the road. It had been five years since Dipper had come to terms with not having a relationship with Wendy - and then, three days ago, everything changed in a split second. It was just a kiss on the cheek, and then wrestling like siblings, but there was definitely something between the two of them that wasn't there before. They were both adults now, and it was only a two year age difference, but it was still confusing. He had gotten used to looking up to Wendy as a friend, role model and even sometimes as the older sister he never had. Sure, there was always that hope that something might happen in the future, or the wish that something had gone differently in the past. But now that it was happening and looking him in the face, Dipper wasn't sure what to do - let alone what to call Wendy; friend, sorta-girlfriend, potential girlfriend, it's complicated?

The twins looked at a few places spanned across the town; a one story rancher that was a bit out of their price range (by a few tens of thousands of dollars), an apartment that would've made a gnome feel claustrophobic, an apartment that could've worked out if the couple upstairs hadn't been "busy" during the walkthrough making it obvious how thin the ceiling was, and a very modest room with a view that just so happened to be nestled into a house that already held five other people with one more on the way - a.k.a the room in the attic of the Shack.

"The question isn't if we want to leave the room in the attic," Mabel started as the twins sat down for an early dinner in Lazy Susan's Diner, "The question is if we _can_ leave the room in the attic."

"As of right now, no we can't." Dipper replied before giving their order to a waitress that had just been hired.

As the twins ate, Dipper looked out the window and saw a familiar redhead wearing an even more familiar green flannel shirt walking down the street passed the diner as she occasionally checked her phone.

"Uh, Mabel, I'll be right back." Dipper explained around a mouth of food as he tried to step out of the booth.

Mabel looked out the window, then back at Dipper, smirked and gave her nod of approval.

Dipper did his best not to trip over anyone or anything and not to slam the door on his way out of the building while still getting outside in time to catch up to Wendy.

"Hey, Short-Stuff, wait up!" Dipper called to her, somewhat enjoying his new nickname for her.

Wendy turned around ready to hit someone, but then smiled when she saw who was running up to her.

"Hey, Stretch, wassup?" Wendy asked as Dipper caught up to her.

"I was just having dinner with Mabel," Dipper started explaining, "We're running around town looking for somewhere to stay but everywhere is either too expensive or too small."

"Dang, where are you guys looking at?" Wendy asked.

"Eastern part of town mostly," Dipper answered, "Some places in the northern part of town, but that's where everything is expensive, so I don't think we'll have much luck there. That's not why I was trying to catch up to you though. Tonight, eight pm, you & me, the parking lot in front of the ol' convenience store we broke into that one night, bring your favorite movie and blanket, I'll bring everything else. I'll pick you up around 7:45."

Wendy stepped back, a little shocked at the sudden proposal.

"Is this a date?" She asked through blushed cheeks.

"It can be," Dipper answered as he blushed a bit himself, "Or it can just be two people trying to figure things out over a movie like they used to do."

Wendy tilted her head a little as she thought it over.

"Alright, it's a friend-date." Wendy replied with a bit of a smirk.

"I like the sound of that." Dipper smiled before giving her a brief hug, "I'll be the one in the beat up pinetree hat."

"See ya' then, Stretch." Wendy replied as she playfully shoved Dipper in the stomach and continued her walk back home.

Dipper walked back into the diner and sat back down without ever losing his smile.

"So?" Mabel asked expectantly with a devious grin.

"It's not a date, but we're hanging out tonight." Dipper answered as he finished his meal.

"Anything I can help with?" Mabel asked as she took on an expression that said she was ready for whatever do-it-yourself project was waiting in store.

"Actually, yes you can." Dipper replied, "I need to set up the parking lot in front of the not-so-haunted convenience store like a drive-in theater."

"Say no more, bro-bro." Mabel said as she whipped out her phone and began texting at a million miles an hour, "My girls and I are on it, you just worry about getting yourself all dolled up."

"Mabel," Dipper spoke her name firmly enough to get her attention, "It's not a full-on date. Maybe a little bit, but not a full glorious shebang, alright?"

"Alright, we'll tone it back a bit." Mabel said in a tone of compromise.

* * *

Three and a half hours later, Dipper got the text from Mabel saying the parking lot was ready and that she & her "team" had cleared out and made sure no one else would stop by. He then did a once over in the mirror making sure he wasn't overdressed, but was nice enough to mark the occasion should anything happen - a Mystery Shack tee shirt, a red flannel over the tee with the sleeves rolled up, some black jeans, hiking boots and the old pinetree hat.

The walk to the Bronco and the subsequent drive to the address Wendy had sent Dipper - since she now had her own apartment - felt like forever. He pulled up to the apartment building with more than enough time, however, turned off the truck and waited a few minutes before hitting the door-buzzer as to not make her feel rushed.

Minutes later, she walked out carrying a light but thick plaid throw-blanket and a DVD case. She wore only the slightest bit of makeup, her hair was down, she wore her old bomber hat and green flannel, a Mystery Shack tee shirt underneath, jeans and an old pair of hunting boots. In ten words or less, Dipper thought she looked absolutely stunning.

"Great minds think alike." Dipper quoted the old cliche as he pointed to their respective hats and their respective tee shirts.

"It's not like I texted Mabel to ask what you were wearing." Wendy replied casually with a somewhat devious smirk.

"One of these days, she's gonna wake up with her thumbs literally glued to that phone." Dipper joked as led Wendy to the truck.

After getting the car door for her, Dipper drove them to the parking lot and pulled in the side of the fence Mabel told him to. The girls had outdone themselves for the short time they had: several white sheets stitched together to make a screen were draped and flattened over the front of the store, a projector with speaker & laptop set up on a table next to a specific parking space, as well as a bin holding a large tarp for the projector setup if bad weather moved in for the night. Dipper backed into the space, helped Wendy out of the passenger seat and into the bed of the trunk - which had been preloaded with a few blankets and some snacks & drinks - then set up up the movie, _Ducktective: The Movie._

As the movie began, the two of them burrowed into the blankets and shared a bag of popcorn and a 2-liter of Pitt Cola as the nightly breeze began to blow in.

"So how have you been?" Dipper asked as the movie began to calm down after its first huge fight scene, "I know we've catching over lunch the past few days, but how have you really been?"

"Honestly?" Wendy asked in reply as she set her cup down, "Stressed, more than I have been at most points in my life. I'm doing most of the paperwork for my dad's lumber company, I'm trying to finish up college online, and then…"

Dipper noticed a small change in her face as she trailed off. He paused the movie and moved to sit so that she was looking at him.

"And then what?" He asked in a soft voice with a tone that told her she could tell him anything.

"Then I met this guy." She replied softly, "He came into the office one morning, he took me to lunch, he made me laugh, he reminded me of better times and he reminded me that the world was a lot brighter than it seemed no matter what's happening. I remembered the small boy that this young man once was, and how he had never given up trying to protect me, even if it meant nothing would come of it. And no matter how hard I tried, no matter what I did, I just…"

Dipper reached out and gently lifted her face to look at his. In her eyes, he could see the pain she was going through - trying to say what was happening inside of her but afraid to let it all out without getting completely emotional; but he could also see the glint of hope, as if she was prepared for anything that would come of this - even if it meant she might be hurt.

Dipper slowly leaned forward, closed his eyes and pressed his lips to hers. He felt her kiss back slowly, then all at once, they were kissing passionately. The world stopped around them; the movie had been forgotten, the location had been forgotten, all that mattered right now was them and this moment.

"I'm sorry," Wendy pulled away suddenly and tried to catch her breath, "But if I don't stop, we might do something we regret."

"I was gonna say the same thing actually." Dipper said with a small smile as he also tried to catch his breath.

"Dipper," Wendy spoke his name in a small and quivering voice as they sat on opposite sides of the trunk, "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Dipper asked in concern.

There was no response, and it took Dipper a second to realize she was doing her best to muffle her crying. He moved over in the trunk bed to sit next to her and put his arms around her as ginergly as he could and leaned her into himself. Her arms wrapped around him and as soon as her head hit his chest, she let it all out.

"It's alright, it's ok." Dipper spoke in gentle tones as he alternated between lightly patting her shoulders and rubbing her upper back and lower neck.

"I'm sorry," Wendy tried to say through sobs.

"For what?" Dipper asked gently, "You didn't do anything wrong."

"Yes I did," She replied as best she could, "I've been sending you mixed signals for the past few weeks, and when we're actually ready to figure this out I screw it up."

"Hey, you didn't screw anything up." Dipper answered back, "I told you before, I don't want you to do anything you'd regret. I'm proud of you for stopping things before you got too uncomfortable."

"That's thing," Wendy replied as she was starting to calm down and brought her face up to look at Dippers, "I didn't stop because I was uncomfortable. I stopped because- I just didn't want to- I… I haven't exactly been 'serious' with a guy before."

Dipper leaned back quickly in surprise.

"But I thought," Dipper started in confusion, "What about Robbie?"

"My mom tried to teach me a few things before she…" Wendy trailed off - still feeling that old wound years later - before continuing, "One thing she taught me was to save the most valuable parts of yourself, as a person and as a soul, for someone that would treat them right. Robbie was a nice guy - most of the time - but I knew he wasn't the one. None of them were, I was just trying to... I don't know, fill a void I guess."

"So, are you saying that I might be…?" Dipper trailed off his question, afraid to fully ask it out loud.

"I'm not sure honestly." Wendy answered as she wiped her nose on her sleeve, "I'd like to think so, but I'm not sure yet."

"I respect that." Dipper replied as he helped gently wipe off her face, "But why would you be scared?"

"I don't want to make you regret anything either." She replied flatly as she took a sudden interest in her boots.

"Wendy," Dipper spoke her name gently as he lifted her head back up to look in his eyes, "There is nothing I could ever do with you that I would regret. If you think we're moving too fast, then I'm willing to slow down."

Wendy smiled as she hugged him tightly before resuming cleaning any trace of the emotional outburst.

"Thank you for this," Wendy started as she sat up and started using napkins to help in drying off her face and Dipper's shirt, "I didn't know I needed this, but I did, thank you."

"My pleasure." Dipper answered back, "Are we ok?"

"I think so." Wendy replied as she took a deep breath, "We just have a lot more to figure out now."

After Dipper's shirt had been dab dried, and Wendy's face had been dried off, Dipper started the movie back and the two burrowed into their blankets and snacks once more - this time cuddling much closer to each other than before. Towards the end of the movie, Dipper raised his phone and - first making sure Wendy was okay with it - snapped a picture of the two of them for the sole purpose of filling Mabel in on what had developed.

"Nothing official yet," Dipper's text read, "But there's definitely something here that wasn't there before. I'll let you know more when I get back to the Shack."

The picture showed Dipper reaching the camera up with one arm, the other arm around Wendy's shoulders as she leaned against his chest and took a sip from her cup of soda through a straw. It quickly became the lock screen for both of their phones.

After the movie had finished, Dipper and Wendy had torn down and packed up the impromptu drive-in theater in the trunk, and Dipper had gotten Wendy's passenger door for her, he drove her back to her apartment and walked her to the front door of the building.

As she opened the door, she turned around and kissed Dipper on the cheek.

"Thanks for everything, Dipper." Wendy smiled, "Good night."

"You're welcome and good night, Wendy." Dipper smiled back, finding a new joy in simply using her given name, as she stepped into the building.

As Dipper pulled into the Mystery Shack parking lot a few minutes later and shut off the ignition, he couldn't help but smile at everything that had happened. The smile never dissipated the slightest bit as walked into the Shack, up the stairs to the attic and sat down on his bed.

"Well?" Mabel asked as she turned over from pretending to be asleep.

Dipper then explained everything that had happened - leaving out the more personal details as it was not his place to say what Wendy had told him in confidence - and never stopped smiling as he explained.

"Sounds like a great first date." Mabel remarked with a smirk after Dipper had finished.

"I don't know if it was a first date yet." Dipper replied, "But it was definitely a great night."

That night, as Gravity Falls laid down for bed, two people on opposite ends of town fell asleep smiling as they thought and dreamt about the other person and what might come of the near future.

* * *

END CHAPTER THREE


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

* * *

Dipper awoke the next day to his phone ringing and nearly vibrating off the desk by his bed.

"Hello, Dipper Pines." Dipper answered groggily.

" _Yo bro-bro,_ " Mabel's chipper up-at-the-crack-of-dawn voice came from the other end of the call, " _The Grunkles sent me out shopping for the Shack. What cereal do you want?_ "

"Anything not made by the creators of Smile-Dip," Dipper answered as he sat up in bed, "We don't need a repeat of last time."

" _Fine_." Mabel dragged out the word before continuing, " _Anything else you need? Anything specific? Wink, wink, nudge, nudge._ "

"No, nothing specific Mabes, thanks" Dipper chuckled as he hobbled his way to the bathroom trying to wake up his legs in the process.

" _No problemo._ " Mabel responded, " _By the way, I bumped into Wendy while I was here, and she said she wants to meet for lunch today._ "

"Did you actually bump into her or are you trying to give me advice?" Dipper asked with a smirk as he got ready to brush his teeth.

" _Brosive, I can't help it if I'm such a good people person._ " Mabel replied, " _And I didn't say it was_ you _she wanted to have lunch with, now did I?_ "

Dipper stopped brushing for second.

"Not trying to sound paranoid, but why would she want to have lunch with you?" Dipper asked.

" _Not sure, but I'll let you know how it goes._ " Mabel replied before the two shared goodbyes and hung up.

Dipper stood for a minute, confused as to Wendy's reasoning for lunch with Mabel. Sure, they were friends and it probably wasn't uncommon before Dipper got back to town, but having it the day after the movie last night seemed a bit odd.

He couldn't spend anymore time thinking about it though, Soos had hired Dipper on as temporary handyman for the Shack until Dipper's friend from Piedmont could get moved up to Gravity Falls and they could move the app company with him. Today, Dipper had to fix the air-conditioning system in the gift shop before one of the hottest weeks of the summer turned into the coldest week of sales for the Shack.

* * *

Two hours later, Dipper stood on a ladder with the upper half of his body inside the vent system in the ceiling trying to get one of Stan's getaway bags - about twelve had been stashed throughout the Shack when Stan ran the Shack, and only six had been found including this one - out of the main air-duct to the gift shop.

As Dipper had continued to work, the heat from himself as well as the weather built up in the ducts causing him to take off the official Mystery Shack employee shirt - Soos's addition to running the Shack - and drape it over the stabilizing bar on the opposite side of the ladder. The metal in the duct wasn't hot yet, at least not painfully say, so Dipper was leaned against one side of the vertical duct to reach into the horizontal one to pull out the bag.

Barely hearing the bell ring for the door to the shop, Dipper leaned back and down to yell down the vent shaft.

"Sorry, we're closed for maintenance." Dipper yelled down as he moved back to his work.

"How convenient? That's exactly what I'm here for." Called a very familiar voice which caused Dipper to smile.

"I'll be right down in a sec, Wendy." Dipper yelled down as the bag began to budge.

"Take your time." Wendy yelled back as she took her old seat behind the register.

Getting firm footing on the ladder and getting a good grip with his right hand on the bag and the other on the vertical duct as support, Dipper brought his right arm back fast and hard enough to pull the bag free of the duct - and to let loose a torrent of dust and cobwebs. Dipper bent down and dropped the bag to the floor as he coughed and then started his descent down the ladder.

Wendy looked up from her phone in time to see Dipper attempting to dust off his torso with the shirt that he had dropped down earlier as his cough subsided. He wasn't muscle-bound, but he definitely wasn't the lean little guy he used to be.

"Uh, Dipper…?" Wendy tried to get his attention through a fully blushed face.

"What's up?" He asked in reply before following her eyes, "Oh, sorry."

"You've uh…" Wendy started as she tried to find the words, "What exactly…?"

"I sorta picked up working out in college," Dipper replied with some mild blush of his own as he put his shirt back on, "It stuck with me, mostly because briefly I considered going into the army, but then remembered that I can barely pick up a book without getting a papercut half the time - a gun in my own hands probably would've been the end of me."

"I, uh, I meant why'd you have your shirt off?" Wendy tried not to stutter as her blush went down one shade.

"Oh, it was hot in the vents so…" Dipper replied sheepishly as he rubbed that familiar spot where his head met his neck.

"Why were you in the vents anyway?" Wendy asked trying to change the subject.

"I'm temporary handyman until Andrew gets up here with the other half of our company," Dipper started as he walked over to the thermostat for the shop, "And the A/C wasn't working because one of Stan's old getaway bags was in the system, moved around and got stuck."  
With a click and the sound of shuddering in the air-ducts, the air began to flow freely through the vents throughout the gift shop.  
"Not bad, Stretch." Wendy remarked as Dipper carried the vent cover back up the ladder and screwed back into place.

"I'm just glad it wasn't something like a family of dead squirrels or Wax Larry King's head." Dipper replied as he came back down the ladder.

"So, I have a favor to ask, and it's totally cool if you say no." Wendy started, "I know it's last minute, but my brother is getting married in Bend this weekend and… Would you mind going with me?"

"Like, as your date?" Dipper asked with a smirk and bit of blush.

"Maybe." Wendy replied in a small voice as her blush returned and she brushed her hair behind her ear, "Mabel said you'd say yes, but I understand if-"

Dipper put his hands on her shoulders cutting her off as she looked up at him.

"I'd be honored to go with you." Dipper answered with a large smile as he pulled her into a hug, "And I'd be honored to figure all of this out with you."

"Thank you, Dipper." Wendy started into his chest before looking back up at him, "Not just for agreeing to come with, but for everything lately."

"It's my pleasure and privilege to be here for you." Dipper replied before gingerly kissing her forehead.

* * *

Two days later, Dipper stood in front of the Bronco wearing a suit jacket over a red flannel shirt with his black jeans and a black pair of army boots - the entire outfit per Wendy's suggestion - as he waited for Wendy to leave her apartment building. As he waited, he used a hanky to clear off any noticeable smudges he could find; the Bronco had been fully restored by both himself and Mr. Pines during their respective times of ownership on the old truck - the red paint, the white trunk cap and the reflective metal of the bumpers, steps, mirrors and door handles all shone like the truck had just been rolled into a car dealership lot instead of having been driven for over thirty years.

Wendy stepped out of the apartment building wearing a blue dress with a plaid design across it similar to flannel, black jeans, a pair of black flat-healed dress boots, and a black flannel windbreaker.

"As much as that outfit would clash on someone else," Dipper started as he opened the passenger door for her, "It suits you very well."

"Well thank you very much." Wendy replied with a smile as Dipper shut the door behind her.

Dipper started up the truck and began the drive out of town and up to Bend, Oregon.

It was a two hour trip - depending on traffic - but they were making good time as they pulled out onto Route 7.

"I meant to ask before," Dipper started as he tried to break the small silence and tension in the cab, "Is Marcus's fiance nice?"

"She's really nice," Wendy replied, "She's a really good fit for him - and vice versa - and my dad is really happy that Marcus found someone that makes him as happy as Mom made Dad."

"That's always good to hear." Dipper remarked with a smile.

Wendy returned the smile and then reached into what she thought was her bag and pulled out Dipper's journal. It was a blue leather binding with a black pine tree on the front cover.

"Do you mind if I read this?" Wendy asked with sudden curiosity as she showed Dipper the book.

"No, go ahead." Dipper replied with a small smirk, "It's not nearly as page-turning as the Grunkle Ford's journals, but I tried."

"This is actually really cool." Wendy stated as she flipped through Dipper's journal entries of different things and creatures he had found in the woods of California.

"If you get to my entries from October last year-" Dipper started before the truck was turned upside down and thrown in the air.

There was no cement divider between the coming and going side of this section of Route 7, allowing someone drunk at the wheel going the other way to careen across the shoulder and straight into the driver's side of the Bronco flipping it into the air and to the other side of their lane of road. The drunkard's car swerved to a stop in the ditch past the right shoulder as the Bronco miraculously landed rightside up with most of the damage to the driver's side of the truck and the front end of the drunkard's car.

Wendy inhaled sharply as she pushed the airbag down to deflate it. She could feel her left arm had been mildly broken and she had mild whiplash as well as a large but shallow gash near her hairline.

"Dipper?" She asked as she tried to undo her seatbelt and get the passenger door open.

As the seatbelt came loose, Wendy looked to Dipper to see why he hadn't responded. The door was pressed against him, his face was buried in the airbag, the left side of his face was bleeding onto the airbag and he wasn't breathing.

"Oh my God, DIPPER!" Wendy called trying to wake him up before getting her door open and calling for help from cars that were now pulling off the road by the crash, "HE'S NOT BREATHING, I NEED HELP GETTING HIM OUT!"

Any pain she felt was gone, all she felt was adrenaline and her heart pounding in her chest and ears. She got Dipper's seatbelt off herself managed to get her seat moved back as his airbag began to deflate. A middle-aged man in a button up shirt and swimtrunks came running up to the truck announcing that he was a doctor. The two of them were able to pull Dipper from the truck and lay him on the grass beside the road. Wendy could now see that Dipper's left arm and leg were definitely broken, worse than her own break, and he most likely had damage to his ribs.

As the man began CPR, and someone else ran to check on the driver of the other car, Wendy called in the emergency. The operator assured her that someone else had called it in and an ambulance was on the way. After hanging up, Wendy called Mabel.

" _Kon'nichiwa, Mabel Pines here._ " Mabel's chipper voice came through the line.

"Mabel, there's been an accident." Wendy started as calmly as she could, "Someone breached the median on Seven, I'm fine - more or less, but Dipper's not breathing and there's ambulances on the way. Don't freak out, panic will only make this worse. Just tell the Stans and I'll text you what hospital they take us to so you guys can meet us there. Alright?"

" _I'll do my best not to panic._ " Mabel replied with fear already in her voice, " _Wendy, stay as close to Dipper as you can for as long as you can since I'm not there for him_."

"I'm way ahead of you." Wendy remarked before adding, "He'll be fine Mabel, he's been through worse."

" _I know he will be._ " Mabel replied before they exchanged brief goodbyes and hung up.

"Ah!" Dipper groaned as the man performing CPR moved away from him, "Everything hurts!"

"It'll be alright, son." The man said, "You're in shock, just take it easy. You were in an accident-"

"Where's Wendy?" Dipper asked suddenly with fear in his face as he reached his right hand up to the man, "Is she ok?"

"I'm here, Dipper, I'm here." Wendy replied quickly trying to calm him down as she knelt by him in the grass.

"Are you okay?" Dipper asked as he tried to touch her shoulder.

"I'll be fine, it's you I'm worried about." Wendy replied as she reached her right hand up to hold his.

"Here comes the ambulance, you kids will be alright." The man said as he stood up and sirens were heard coming up the highway, "Don't worry about the truck, my sons and I can get off the road and I'll leave a shirt in the window."

"Thank you...sir." Dipper breathed as his eyes began to droop.

The paramedics ran over to them with a gurney just as Dipper's eyes closed and his head drooped back against the grass. He continued to breath on his own as he fell asleep to the sound of sirens and his heart pounding in his ears.

* * *

END CHAPTER FOUR


	5. Chapter 5 (part 1)

**CHAPTER FIVE (Part 1)**

* * *

 _(Note 1: This chapter [both parts] jumps between Dipper's and Wendy's respective POVs, this is the only chapter I will do this)._

 _(Note 2: This chapter is split into two parts because it ended up being pretty long but I didn't want to number a different chapter for story/plot's sake)._

* * *

Dipper jumped awake and sat bolt upright in bed and took in his surroundings. He was in a hospital room, a nightstand overflowing with "Get Well" cards, flowers and candies sat next to the bed, a row of three empty chairs sat at the foot of the bed, a desk with a cushioned chair sat against the wall where a second hospital bed would've been. Outside the window, the sun shone as if nothing in the world could go wrong today.

Dipper swung his feet over the edge of the bed and pressed the button that signaled for assistance from a nurse. After waiting ten minutes and pressing the button twice, Dipper got up and gingerly walked into hallway.

"Excuse me, Miss?" Dipper tried to get a passing nurse's attention.

The woman kept walking as if nothing had happened. Instead of panicking, Dipper tried to get someone else's attention.

"Sir, could you please help me?" Dipper asked as he followed and tried to grab the shoulder of a male nurse passing by.

The moment Dipper's hand should have touched the man's shoulder, it went straight through and the man continued on as if nothing had happened.

"Okay, this is giving me some bad flashbacks." Dipper remarked as he remembered the mishap during Mabel's sock opera.

As Dipper lifted his hand to inspect it before remembering that his left hand had been beyond broken from the accident- the accident! Dipper ran back into his room and saw his body laying in the bed; a set of monitors kept track of his heartbeat, brain activity and other vitals, his left arm and leg had casts around them and he had bandages on his left shoulder, the entire left side of his head and the left side of his torso along with a neck brace. The most sobering sight was that his body was breathing on its own.

"Okay, okay…" Dipper began as he tried to calm himself down, "You've been through weider things before, this will be ok."

"Are you sure about that, Pine-tree?" An all too familiar and haunting voice asked from behind Dipper.

As he turned around in horror, Dipper was greeted with Grunkle Stan grinning in the doorway with everyone walking by him as if he were one of the building's structural columns. His eyes were no longer their normal brown, or even surrounding by the usual white - instead, the whites of his eyes were yellow, and the pupils had been extended to black slits.

* * *

Wendy slowly opened her eyes in the waiting room and winced as she remembered her injuries. Her cuts had been bandaged, she had been given a sling for her arm and some pain meds for the whiplash. It was the day after the crash now, but the pain still lingered, even through the medication.

Feeling a bit stir crazy, Wendy sat up - trying not to disturb Mabel sleeping next to her, and began to walk where she could in the hospital. As she walked, Wendy couldn't help but picture what Dipper looked like the last time she had been let in to see him; he was still breathing on his own, but it seemed like his entire left side was one big bandage. The doctors had said he was lucky to be alive, but all Wendy wanted him to be right now was conscious.

She needed him right now, not as the friend he had been when they were younger, and not as the returning friend from a few weeks ago, but as the young man she had admittedly fallen in love with. It wasn't the fear of losing him to an accident, it wasn't even the accident itself - it was the slowly changing light that she saw him in; her protector, her friend, her most trusted advisor. She couldn't bear to lose him at this point, not after all they had been through.

Wendy stepped outside and sat down on a bench looking out on the city from the hospital. People going about their lives as if nothing could happen tomorrow, as if the people they knew were never going to leave. Wendy was so deep in thought, that she didn't notice when someone sat on the bench with her and she even jumped a little when he began to speak.

"I can't fully imagine what you're going through, Wendy." Ford spoke softly and calmly, but his voice carried the slightest bit of pain of the words that followed, "But I do know what it feels like to be scared to lose someone as close as you and Dipper have become. Stan would punch me clear to Texas if I described our relationship like this, but even with losing time and all the grudges over the years, the one thing I always feared was finding myself without him. When I had to erase his memories five years ago, I nearly couldn't bring myself to do it. I didn't want to find myself without someone I cared for the most gone from my life again. Granted, erasing their memories still leaves the person, just in a bit of a different state. The point is-"

Wendy cut him off by doing her best to hug him with one arm.

"The point is," Wendy finished for him as she sat back up straight, "The Pines boys don't let anything keep them down. Dipper's gonna be fine."

"I wish I had had your optimism that day, Wendy." Ford replied with a small smile as he pulled away and offered to help her up, "C'mon, we should get back inside in case he wakes up."

* * *

"How…? When…?" Dipper tried to form a question through his panic, but nothing came out.

"Oh relax," Stan's posesser suggested as he stepped towards Dipper, "I'm stuck in Stan's head, there's no way I could keep you from getting back into your body let alone possessing it again - not yet anyway. I just had a feeling I'd be seeing you in this particular predicament when Stan heard about your little accident."

"Bill, if you hurt Stan, Wendy, or any of them, I swear-" Dipper's voice started to rise before Bill cut him off.

"You'll what kid, sock puppet me to death?" Bill/Stan chuckled, "Relax, I can't do much of anything in this form except set up country-wide scavenger hunts that may or may not jump dimensions on their own. The only reason I'm here- Walk with me, kid."

Dipper begrudgingly followed Bill through different hallways of the hospital as they talked.

"The only reason I'm here," Bill continued, "Is because I have a debt to pay. See, in preparing for Weirdmageddon, I made deals with all kinds of people on my side of the rift - including a few people who I don't like very much. One particular person whom I deeply dislike, Theselbraum, made a very specific deal with me; if I ever attempted to invoke the Ancient Powers to return from defeat in your dimension - much like I did when Sixer tried to wipe me and his brother's memories away, I had to help at least one person make the journey back from death to a life that may or may not be as kind to them as they expected. Unfortunately, I didn't understand exactly what she meant at the time, I only knew that she was saying I could invoke the Ancient Powers, so I agreed right away. Luckily, I kept my little ace-in-the-hole hidden away until the time was right - you're my ticket out of this deal."

"What happens to you if you help me make my choice?" Dipper asked cautiously as they turned down a hall that led towards intensive-care.

"I become free to gain more power while I'm still stuck in Stan's head." Bill answered matter-of-factly, "However, if you go back to your life, you will have no memory of me or my help. On the other hand, if you take too long getting back to your body - or simply choose death, I am forever stuck in Stan's mind with the power I currently possess."

Dipper stopped and remembered looking at his body in the hospital bed - beaten, bruised, and broken - debating whether it would be better to choose death so Bill couldn't gain anymore power, or to choose life and spend what could be months in physical therapy but also explore a possible future with Wendy.

If he stopped Bill here and now, no one else would ever have to worry about Bill or his evil ways ever again; no more possibility of Weirdmageddon 2, no more deals or possessions, no more fear for Gravity Falls. If chose to live, he could help Wendy figure out where they were going from here. Just keeping her in his life made it seem worth it to let Bill go, but he also didn't want anyone else fearing Bill anymore.

Dipper realized that the choice was his, but he wasn't sure he was ready to make it just yet.

* * *

She couldn't wait any longer, Wendy _had_ to be with Dipper in case he woke up. She moved to wait by the door that led deeper into the hospital, and after someone else had gone through, she snuck in behind them and began trying to find her way to Dipper's room. She tried to follow directional signs as best she could, and with a few false-starts and some backtracking, she made her way to what she thought was Dipper's hallway. Instead, she found a family of three - a mother and two children - sitting outside what ought to be Dipper's room.

"Excuse me," Wendy tried to get their attention as she accepted that she was lost, "What hall am I in?"

"You're in the Northeast Hall," the woman answered calmly and softly, "Intensive Care."

Something clicked in Wendy's short-term memory; she had overheard the doctors and paramedics say the driver that had hit Dipper's Bronco was drunk at the time and needed an extensive stay in intensive care. Maybe it was just a coincidence, but…

"I don't mean to be so forward," Wendy started as she took one of the empty chairs across from the family, "But what exactly are you all here for."

The woman looked into Wendy's eyes with tears in her own.

"He didn't mean what he said," The woman started as she fought back tears, "He had had a rough night, and the call from work didn't help… He didn't mean to do it… We just want him back."

The woman then huddled the children closer to herself as a few tears began to drop on an already damp windbreaker. Wendy then leaned back against the wall.

This family, they were just like her right now. No matter what brought them here, they were just as scared as she was.

"Ma'am," Wendy spoke up, "I know this may alarm you, but I was in the truck that your husband ran into. Don't freak out, please, just listen to me. I'm as scared as you. No matter what brought us here, we're both scared of what's gonna happen. I don't know how much consolation this will be, but I just wanted you to know that I don't blame him for this - I don't blame anyone for this. In my eyes, he's no more at fault than we were."

The woman was confused for a second, then moved her hand up to hold Wendy's. Wendy moved over and took the woman's hand.

"It may not seem like it," the woman said shakily, "But I couldn't be more grateful for what you just said. Thank you."

Wendy nodded with a smile as she tried to bite back tears.

"They'll both be fine," Wendy's voice began to echo through an unseen veil to a spectre listening around the corner, "They'll pull through."

* * *

END CHAPTER FIVE (part 1)


	6. Chapter 5 (part 2)

**CHAPTER FIVE (Part 2)**

* * *

 _(Note 1: This continues from Part 1, still jumps between Dipper's and Wendy's POVs - following chapters will not do this)_

 _(Note 2: This is the only chapter that will be split into two parts)_

* * *

Dipper and Bill/Stan stood around the corner listening to Wendy as she talked with the other driver's family. Dipper couldn't help but smile at how brave Wendy was in the face of all this. She didn't know when or if Dipper might wake up, and yet she had accidentally found the driver's family and had told them bluntly that she forgave the man for what had happened.

"She's far more generous than I would be if I was in her position." A voice said behind Dipper.

Both Bill and Dipper turned to see a man in much the same state as Dipper - somewhat transparent but not glowing and not able to interact with anyone else.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention," Bill started a bit quietly, "There might be some other people here that are in the same predicament as you Pine-tree, so you should - I dunno - be grateful that I found you at all."

Dipper ignored Bill as he turned back to the man.

"Are you the man that…?" Dipper's question trailed off, not wanting to make the man feel anymore guilty if he was the driver.

"-threw your truck over traffic and into a ditch?" The man finished in a bitter tone, "Yeah, that's me. The name's Steven."

"Dipper." Dipper replied as he extended his hand.

The man cautiously lifted his own hand and shook Dipper's outstretched one.

"Now's your chance, kid." Bill whispered behind Dipper, "Let him have it."

"I know this is all probably confusing," Dipper started as he continued to ignore Bill, "But maybe I can help you. We're not dead, not yet anyway. We're sorta in a no man's land between life and death."

"Can we choose to stay here?" The man asked solemnly as he sat on the floor and leaned against the wall.

"I suppose you could," Dipper replied as he sat down next to the man, "But I think there's a time limit on choosing to come back or not."

"That's fine." The man remarked with bitterness in his voice, "I've lived enough, they're better off without me."

"What are you talking about?" Dipper asked in bewilderment before pointing back to Steven's family, "Do you see them over there? They don't just want you back - they _need_ you back, man. Why would you wanna throw something like that away?"

"They don't deserve me," Steven started, "They deserve better. All I do is drink, make a mess of my home and family, and now this."

"Well, we tried." Bill remarked sarcastically, "C'mon Pine-tree, we better get going."

"Bill, what if we helped Steven?" Dipper asked as he looked up at Bill.

"Are you kidding me?!" Bill asked indignantly, "I'm here to help you back from death, if you don't want my help-"

"Think about it," Dipper started, as he stood up, "If we help him and you help me, that's two people. Tressel-Bomb, or whatever their name is, might let you gain more power for helping more people."

Bill looked through Stan's eyes at Dipper as if he was trying to find the double meaning in his words.

"Don't worry about it, kid." Steven stated as he stood up, "I already tried rejoining, I can't get in. My time's up, my body just hasn't figured that out yet."

Dipper was silent as he put his hand on Steven's shoulder, trying to give him any form of reassurance he could.

"Bill, is there any way we can affect the physical world?" Dipper asked as he turned back to Bill.

"How should I know?" Bill asked, "I've only done possession and messing with dreams."

"There's gotta be something we can use." Dipper said before seeing a discarded pen along the edge where the wall met the floor.

Dipper walked over, picked up the pen, found a discarded piece of paper at the top of a nearby trashcan and wrote "hello" on the paper.

"Bill," Dipper started as he turned the paper to Bill, "Could Stan read this?"

Bill took the paper - which seemed to go from rigid to a bit more worn when it passed from Dipper's hand to Bill/Stan's - before closing one eye and reopening just for a second with Stan's original brown iris and then back to yellow with black slit pupil.

"He can," Bill replied with confusion, "But what's the point, Pine-tree?"

"Steven," Dipper turned back to the man, "Take this pen, write she needs to see on that bulletin board."

"What?" Steven asked in confusion as Dipper gave him the pen.

"You may not be able to get back to your family," Dipper replied as he pointed back down the hall where Wendy was still standing beside Steven's family, "But you can leave something for them before they lose you."

Steven looked at the pen, then at Dipper just as the dots connected in his head.

"What do I say?" Steven asked cautiously as he stepped to the bulletin board above the chair Wendy had been sitting in.

"Something short." Dipper replied as he pointed to Steven's room.

A faint but steady beeping was starting to rise in volume, his body's vitals were beginning to fail. Steven stepped to the board, found an empty section of paper and began to write.

"Mom!" One of the children shouted in alarm causing the family and Wendy to look at the bulletin board.

In the margin on a piece of paper announcing visiting hours, Dipper knew that all the family and Wendy could see were words being written by an invisible pen.

" _To my family,_ " Steven's words read, " _It pains me to say that my time here is gone. I ask that you can find it in your hearts to forgive me for how I treated you in life, and I implore you to move on and find someone who will love you just as much as, maybe even more than (if such a thing were possible), I love each one of you. Don't worry about me, I'm alright. I won't say it's a better place until I can fully see each of you again. I love you all, Steven - Dad._ "

The mother stepped to the board and took down the piece of paper. Dipper watched as Steven reached out to touch her wrist and he could tell that for a moment - just a moment, she felt Steven's hand. She looked up, and only through her tears could she see a fleeting image of her husband smiling at her as he faded away.

"Mom, is that real?" One of the children asked as they both came closer to her.

"Yes, yes it is." The mother replied, "He's gonna be alright, we'll be alright."

As nurses came running down the hall and into Steven's room - which was now resounding a steady beep at full blast, the mother let loose her last tears of sadness before a nurse stepped to her calmly to say that her husband had passed on.

* * *

Wendy stayed with the family for a few seconds before they moved to say their last goodbyes, then she began to walk down the hallway. She didn't know where she was going, she just needed to find somewhere to be alone. Her wandering led her through a few new hallways and into the hospital's multi-religion chapel, not too far away from the waiting area where Mabel and everyone else was.

As she took a seat towards the edge of the room alongside a small table, Wendy put down the bag she had been carrying since she left the waiting area. She pulled out nearly half of the bag's contents and began to sort it all out. It was Dipper's bag from the truck, she had been through the entire thing at least three times. She knew everything that was in here - not to be a prying eye, but looking for some small thing to help her know that Dipper was or would be ok.

The only two books in the bag were Dipper's journal and Ford's third journal. Wendy had pulled these out along with Dipper's old handheld blacklight and the pine-tree hat that Dipper had tucked away in the bag in case it had rained at Marcus's wedding. Setting Dipper's journal aside for now, Wendy started paging through Journal 3, reminiscing about all the adventures during that summer five years ago.

As Wendy closed the old book, something fell out of the space between the last page and the back cover. Wendy picked up the very flat piece of paper and discovered that it was paper that she and everyone else had signed before the twins left that summer. Curious if what she had left was still there, Wendy grabbed the blacklight and shined it on the note. There, next to her signature, plain as day in UV ink were the words, "PS: Love you too."

Wendy couldn't help but begin to cry. This young boy had come into her life, made one of the most boring summers one of the most epic, had protected her during one of the most life altering adventures of her life, and - as much as she tried to deny it - had given her someone to not only fall for but to trust with every part of herself, without even being a teenager yet.

Now, he was back. No longer the boy that she had befriended and tried to help move on, but as the protector once again, the one she could rely on more than anything, and needed him more than anything right now.

"Dipper," Wendy breathed through small sobs, "I don't know if you can hear me - I don't know if you helped that driver - but if you can hear me, I need you. I can't lose you. I can't be left with only memories again. Mom… Mom was hard enough, and it still hurts when I see Dad by himself. But you… I CAN'T LOSE YOU DIPPER!"

Wendy began shouting through her sobs, not caring who heard her.

"I NEED YOU!" Wendy shouted with tears in her eyes, "You're more than a friend anyone has ever been to me! You cared for me and went out of your way to protect me and make me feel better even when you knew nothing may come of it. You are the most amazing, courageous and awesome person I know and I…"

Wendy breathed as she calmed down and lowered her head.

"I can't live without you, Dipper." Wendy whispered as tears dripped down onto carpet.

* * *

Dipper kneeled on both legs in front of Wendy, helpless as she tried to control her sobs. As a few of his own tears fell, Dipper clenched a fist and slowly pressed it against the floor. No matter how evil Bill was, no matter how powerful he could become, Dipper couldn't let Wendy lose someone else again.

Dipper stood to walk out, but before he left, he leaned down and kissed Wendy's forehead as hard as he could. She looked up at him, not able to fully see him.

"Dipper?" She whispered in disbelief.

He didn't care about anything else anymore, he had to be there for her, no matter the cosmic cost.

Dipper ran through the doors of the chapel - literally, his body shifted through them as if they were nothing - and ran down the hall. Bill in Stan's body had been standing outside so Wendy wouldn't see him, but now he was sprinting to keep up with Dipper.

"Where's the fire, kid?" Bill called out from behind as the two rounded the corner and ran for Dipper's room.

Dipper skidded to a halt at his door and walked into the room, soon followed by Bill. Dipper's body vitals were lower than before, time was running out, but it wasn't gone yet.

"So what'll be, Pine-tree?" Bill asked through panting breaths before pointing to the monitors by the bed, "Clock's ticking."

Dipper looked at his broken body in the hospital bed, before turning back to Bill.

"I don't care if it means we have to see another Weirdmageddon," Dipper stated, "I'm not letting Wendy lose anyone else."

Bill stood speechless as Dipper walked over to the bed.

"You're not gonna throw away an entire future just to stop me?" Bill asked in confusion.

"It's not like I'm gonna remember this choice anyway," Dipper replied as he leaned against the bed rail, "That's what you said right, 'No matter what, I won't remember any of this?'"

Bill leaned against the wall as Stan's lungs calmed down.

"I know what anyone else would do in my position," Dipper started, "But I also know that Mabel and Wendy wouldn't be able to go on with their lives let alone face you in any capacity if I'm not there - and I can't face you without them by my side either."

Bill stood motionless for a second, seeming to have a rapid debate in his head.

"Tell you what, kid." Bill started in a tone very different from his normal voice of manipulation, "Since you're being so helpful for me, I'll be as helpful as I can for you."

In a moment that contradicted everything Dipper knew Bill to be, Bill walked over to the bed and touched one finger to Dipper's bandaged forehead. A blue light pulsed under Bill's fingernail and traveled into Dipper's head then faded.

"I just sped up your healing process by a few months," Bill stated as he turned to Dipper, "You should only need to be here a day - if that, or until Red fully recovers herself, after you come back to."

"What's the catch?" Dipper asked cautiously as he stepped towards his body.

"The catch is Stan and his life are growing on me," Bill answered flatly, "Now hurry up and get back in your body before I change my mind."

Dipper crawled over himself, sat down in his body and readied himself to lean back and rejoin his consciousness with the body. As he sank back into himself, he could barely register Bill walking Stan's body back to the waiting room before everything went black.

* * *

Wendy had just walked back into the waiting room after calming herself down and making sure any evidence of her chapel visit was gone. As Stan walked into the room, rubbing his eyes as if he had just woken up, a bubbly nurse came down the hall with a smile.

"Pines family?" The nurse asked to get their attention, "Your friend is awake. He's a little groggy, we need to do a few tests just to see what condition he's in, but he's definitely going to pull through. We'll let you know when you can come back to see him."

Everyone in the waiting room that was waiting for Dipper cheered and hugged each other.

About an hour later, Wendy sat next to Dipper's bed, looking at what would become small scars that one would have to look for to notice on the left side of his face. The doctors had removed the bandages on his torso, shoulder and head as well as the neck brace - miraculously, he no longer needed them. Dipper was now sitting up in bed, reading through the "Get Well" cards that had been on the nightstand.

"I'm guessing we missed the wedding?" Dipper asked with a slight smirk as he and Wendy held hands over the edge of the bed.

"Yeah." Wendy laughed, "Yeah, we did. I figured you'd be freaking out about your truck by now."

Dipper put down the card he was reading as he looked over at Wendy.

"When I was helping my dad restore the Bronco before he gave it to me," Dipper started, "One of the things he told me was, 'As much time, energy and money as we are putting into this truck, never forget its true purpose; while it was made to help you get from point A to point B, it was also made to protect what you and others value the most.' As depressing it is to know that something I worked so hard on is practically bent in half and is being towed to the Mystery Shack backlot, it's much more satisfying to know it did its job - to protect what I, and others, value the most."

Wendy blushed as Dipper continued to hold on to her hand as if he'd never let go.

"I made you a promise the day I came back to Gravity Falls," Dipper continued, "I'm not going anywhere, and I intend to keep that promise, Short-stuff."

Wendy couldn't help but smile as she leaned in and kissed Dipper deeply. If it hadn't been for the nurse walking in announcing the need to run the last few tests, that kiss may have lasted until winter.

* * *

END CHAPTER FIVE (part 2)


	7. Chapter 6 and Epilogue

**Chapter Six**

* * *

Within the next few weeks, as Dipper and Wendy got used to and then discarded their arm slings and Dipper's recovery boot, Mr. and Mrs. Pines visited town for a few days to make sure that both the twins were ok after the truck accident.

"We're fine, guys, honestly." Dipper chuckled as he rubbed his arm while the family shared lunch one day.

"I was just shaken up at the time," Mabel started, "But we're fine, I promise."

Mrs. Pines seemed to ease up a bit, but Mr. Pines wasn't so sure.

"Son, level with me.." Mr. Pines started before Dipper cut him off.

"Dad, I'm upset about the truck," Dipper started in reply, "But like you always tell me, it did it's job - Wendy and I are alive, that was its job. We can rebuild it, or we can sell it to fund a new car. Either way, we're fine."

Mr. Pines leaned back, breathed a bit in relief and in pride at how much his son had matured in the past few years.

"Alright then." Mr. Pines stated very calmly in a tone that said the discussion was over.

"So?" Mrs. Pines started in an attempt to change the subject, "Is this the same Wendy we heard so much about the last time you two were here?"

"Yeah, yeah it is." Dipper replied trying not to blush and failing to do so.

"You guys should see them together," Mabel began, "It's like an IRL OTP."

The entire table turned to look at Mabel in bewilderment.

"In real life, one true pairing." Mabel explained, "Do you guys even go online?"

Dipper shook his head with a chuckle as their parents were still attempting to decipher Mabel's words.

"I've never been one to interfere with this part of your life, Son," Mr. Pines started as he sat up a bit in his seat, "But if this young woman makes you as happy as you've told us, and things are progressing as you and Mabel say they are - not to mention the fact she saved your lives a few times and vice versa, your mother and I would be more than honored to meet her."

"And I know that she would be more than honored to meet you guys." Dipper smiled.

As the family left Lazy Susan's, Dipper and Mabel took their parents on a brief guided tour of Gravity Falls and its residents - sparing the huge details from that epic summer. The tour led to the Corduroy Milling offices, and Dipper took the opportunity to lead the group inside.

While Mabel explained briefly explained the Corduroys and their company, Dipper saw Wendy perk up a little as the family came inside, then watched as she stepped out from behind the desk realizing it was the twins' parents.

"And this is Wendy Corduroy." Dipper announced as Mabel finished, "Wendy, this is Mom and Dad."

"It's awesome to finally meet you both." Wendy remarked as she tried to pour on a little charm, not sure how much either of the twins had told their parents about her.

"Young lady, the honor is ours." Mr. Pines replied as she shook her hand firmly.

"We've heard so much about you," Mrs. Pines started as she then shook Wendy's hand, "And we wanted to say, 'Thank you, for everything that you've done for the twins - all of it.'"

"Are you kidding?" Wendy asked with a small chuckle and a smile, "It's a privilege to know both these guys, my summer - and my life - wouldn't be nearly as exciting if I hadn't met them."

Before Mr. Pines could say something in reply, a large man stepped into the office from the back of the building.

"Wendy, how are we-? Oh…" Manly Dan trailed off as he realized who was in the store.

He looked much the same as he had a few years ago, same grey shirt, same greenish pants and beanie, the only difference in outfit was he now wore a red flannel buttoned most of the way up with the sleeves rolled to just above the elbows. His beard and sideburns were starting to show a few gray hairs, and there was the slightest droop to his face, but it was still the same large lumberjack that the twins knew so well.

"Dad," Wendy cleared her throat, "This is Mr. and Mrs. Pines, Dipper and Mabel's parents. Mr. and Mrs. Pines, this is my dad - Dan Corduroy."

"Most of the town calls me, 'Manly Dan.'" Dan stated in a voice much lower than he usually used as he shook the Pines Parents' hands, "Not really sure why."

"It's nice to meet you, sir." Mr. Pines replied as he tried to subtly rub his hand after Dan's cement-like grip of a handshake.

"I don't mean to interrupt anything," Dipper spoke up as he set down his bag - the same bag from the Bronco - on the couch against the wall, "But Dad and Man- Mr. Corduroy, can I talk to you both outside for a minute?"

Mr. Pines and Manly Dan looked at each other for a second before each doing their own version of a shrug and following Dipper out onto the sidewalk.

"I'll be honest with both of you," Dipper started as he tried to calm the nerves in his voice, "There's been a million ways I thought this conversation would go over the years, but no matter how it goes I need to know the answer. I wanted you both here because I wanted both of your opinions on this; With your permission and blessing Mr. Corduroy, would either of you object to me asking Wendy to be my girlfriend?"

Mr. Pines and Manly Dan both looked at each other for a second, and - without planning to - both stated at the same time, "I thought you two were already dating."

Dipper chuckled, then laughed. His laughter soon had both fathers laughing with him for a solid five minutes. Continuing to laugh, all three men stepped back inside.

"Everything alright out there?" Mrs. Pines asked.

"Everything's fine, Dear." Mr. Pines replied as he calmed down his laughter.

"Wendy," Dipper asked, "Can I ask you something that I probably should've asked about a month ago?"

"Of course, you can ask me anything." Wendy replied with a curious smile.

Dipper reached into his bag and pulled out the old beat up pine-tree hat, got down on one knee, and trying but failing to contain a large smile asked, "Will you be my girlfriend?"

Wendy's face erupted in blush and a large smile at the same time as she grabbed the hat, put it on and kissed Dipper all in one motion.

"Of course I will, Dipper." Wendy replied, finding yet another new joy in using his nickname.

"Well," Manly Dan began as he picked up Wendy in one arm and Dipper in the other, "I think this calls for dinner tonight - my treat."

"Oh no, you don't have to-" Mrs. Pines started before Dan cut her off.

"I insist." Manly Dan replied as he gently set Wendy and Dipper back down, "This young man - and his sister - saved my daughter's life - and my own - on several occasions, the least I could do is take your family to dinner."

"Alright then, thank you very much Mr. Corduroy." Mr. Pines replied after a pause.

"My pleasure." Manly Dan replied as he and Mr. Pines shook hands again.

"Well, I better get back to work." Manly Dan announced as he started stepping back.

"Oh, yes, Mabel wanted to show us what Stanford's successor has done with that old Shack." Mrs. Pines remarked.

"What?" Mabel asked before seeing the look on Mr. Pines's face that suggested Dipper and Wendy needed a moment, "Oh yeah, c'mon guys, what until you see what Soos did with what was left of the wax museum."

With Dan stepping back into his office with the door shut, and the Pines' family stepping back outside, Dipper and Wendy found themselves alone.

"So?" Wendy asked as Dipper put his arms around her shoulders, "We're an official thing now, huh?"

"I guess so," Dipper replied as she put her arms around his waist, "You're gonna have to start calling me something other than Dipper or Stretch when we're alone though."

"Oh?" Wendy asked with a bit of a smirk, "And what exactly would I call you?"

"Mason." Dipper replied honestly as he confided a name that only his parents knew in the only other person on Earth he wanted to ever tell, "My given name is Mason."

"Mason." Wendy tried the name out, "It suits you, and I definitely like it, but Stretch has grown on me - no pun intended."

Dipper chuckled in reply as he pulled her into a hug.

"Somehow, I knew you'd say something like that." Dipper remarked with a smile.

* * *

It was the end of July, Mr. and Mrs. Pines had gone home about a week ago. Mr. Pines had left Dipper some written instructions on how to rebuild the Bronco, or financially liquidate it, depending on how he chose to get new transportation. Opting for rebuilding the old truck, Dipper found that Wendy and occasionally Soos would help him work on replacing the doors, remaking and piecing back together the frame, the axles and replacing the interior equipment like airbags and damaged seats.

Andrew had shown up with the rest of the app company files and equipment just as the Pines Parents were leaving, and he and Dipper were able to set up shop in the empty and rent-controlled offices connected to Corduroy Milling in strip mall style. Even though he and Mabel had met before, something about the new atmosphere worked for them both and eventually they were going steady.

Everything was going well for Dipper, considering how this summer was almost as emotionally charged as that first summer.

As Dipper worked under the Bronco in the backlot of the Mystery Shack one day, Wendy rolled under the truck with him, laying with her back on a skateboard so she could freely move and get tools for him as they talked.  
"So, I had a bit of a crazy idea this morning," Wendy started as she handed Dipper a rather large wrench he'd asked for, "and I haven't been able to get it out of my head all day, so I thought I'd run it by you."

"I'm all ears, Short-Stuff." Dipper answered with the same smirk he got every time he used the nickname that only he was privileged to.

"My apartment has space for two people," Wendy started after a pause with her nerves evident in her voice, "Why don't you move in with me?"

Dipper stopped what he was working on and tilted his head to look at her.  
"I'm not trying to talk you out of it," He started, "But are you sure?"

She nodded timidly in reply before looking back up at him. She barely had time to react before his lips met hers in a deep and intense kiss that seemed to stop the earth before Dipper pulled back.

"I'd love to move in with you." Dipper replied with the biggest smile he could give.

Wendy ran her hands through his hair and pulled him into a hug as best she could under the truck.

"What are you gonna tell Mabel?" Wendy asked as she pulled away.

"Honestly, with how she and Andrew have been going," Dipper started, "I wouldn't be surprised if she stayed here and he moved from the motel outside town to my old bed in the attic."

"You know they're probably gonna move the beds together at that point, right?" Wendy asked jokingly.

"Hey, I don't care if you're my girlfriend or not," Dipper took on a tone of seriousness while trying and failing to keep a straight face, "That's my sister you're talking about."

Wendy playfully shoved Dipper causing his mechanic's creeper seat to move a bit. Dipper's retaliation was attempting to put a dot of oil on Wendy's face. Before either of them knew what had happened, they were running around the backlot with huge smiles on their faces - Dipper chasing Wendy with oily gloves on his hands as she tried to put anything in his path, including getting ahold of the Shack's water hose at one point.

After both of them had cleaned up, and Dipper had told Mabel and the Stans about the new living arrangement, he started packing his things. He couldn't stop smiling as he began packing what had been his life in the Shack to move it all into the next chapter of his life that could potentially hold the biggest adventure he had ever taken on.

* * *

 **Epilogue**

Stephanie Pines played hopscotch along the sidewalk in front of her mother as they enjoyed something rare together - nice weather in the middle of summer; not too hot, but just enough sunshine that it was a nice day for doing just about anything outside.

"Mommy," Stephanie asked as she looked up to her naturally redheaded mother, "Can we visit Aunt Mabel and Uncle Andrew today? Or Uncle Soos and Aunt Melody? Or Grandpa Dan?"

"We'll see, Stephanie." Wendy Pines replied with a chuckle as she picked the brown haired and emerald eyed four year old up and carried her the rest of the way to Pines & Matthews Consolidated.

Dipper and Andrew's business had boomed over the years, to the point where they not only made apps, but made devices to put those apps on and they were buying out smaller companies to help push new product into the market; and what had been a small office on Main Street was now its own semi-large building just on the edge of town.

As Wendy walked in, she could already see Dipper coming to meet them.

"Daddy!" Stephanie called as Wendy set her down before she ran and jumped into her father's arms.

"How are my two favorite girls doing?" Dipper asked with a smile before sharing a brief kiss with Wendy.

"Hungry." Stephanie answered honestly in a way that only small children can do without cracking up.

"Well it's a good thing I have the rest of the day off then, huh?" Dipper asked the little girl as the family walked out of the building.

As Dipper set his daughter down, and he and Wendy each held one of her hands as they all walked together down the sidewalk, Dipper couldn't imagine a more perfect way to spend his life. Wendy by his side, a beautiful little girl that had inherited the best qualities of her parents, his sister still in his life - heck, she only lived two minutes from him. Unlocking the old Bronco - not only fully restored but also sporting a blue paint job - Dipper thought to himself that there was no way he could've ever imagined that his life would be this amazing.

"Oh, by the way," Dipper began as he opened Wendy's passenger door for her, "Did I ever tell you that we met long before that one summer in 2012?"

"What?" Wendy asked with a confused smile as she got in the truck.

"Time-tape." Dipper replied with a wink and a smile as he shut Wendy's door and walked around the truck, ready to take his family on a new adventure.

* * *

END STORY


	8. Author's Note

**Author's Note:**

* * *

If you are actually reading this part, I just wanna say thank you for reading my entire story. The fact that so many people commented, viewed and appreciated this overwhelms me and if I could personally thank each and every one of you I would.

This story was absolute fun and helped me through a weird point in my life that I didn't even know I was in. These characters, this world that I sorta bridged - for myself and you, the readers - helped me come to terms with a lot of stuff that I didn't know was there.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, never underestimate the power of writing. Even if it's just a fanfiction, or something you do in your spare time that you hope no one else ever sees, keep doing it and it will be your best friend no matter what.

Thank you all again for helping me see how much of an impact my writing can have, I wish you all the best - whether readers, writers, or both - and I hope to see you all next summer (here's to hoping Alex Hirsch actually has season 3 of GF on the way).

~TheDarkDoctorWatson


End file.
